Headaches. I've got enough of them already yet they keep multiplying. Today, however, I think I finally put two and two together. I may have figured out how to tell I am getting a bad headache. This morning I woke up, not in a bad mood, but just lethargic and a little irritable. I couldn't place my finger on it, but I knew that I just wasn't feeling too well. I also remembered that only a few days ago I felt the same way. I just chalked it up to exhaustion, lack of sleep and stress. ...

FORZA ITALIA! We're in Florence right now, about to go pick up some pizzas and go to some friends to see the big game. If Italy wins, this town is going to explode!

Well, USA is officially out of the World Cup race. They gave it their all and I, for one, am very proud of our team. US soccer has a bright future. In the mean time, I can continue to root for my other "home" team, Italy! I didn't get to see any of the US/Ghana game, but got to see a good part of the Italy/Czech game. Every time Italy scored the whole town shock with air horns and car horns going off all over the place! It would be awesome to be here if/when Italy wins it all! It would be...

Being abroad (not a broad) you have the opportunity and the pleasure to see lots of entertaining signs. Here is one that Amanda and I have recently had a good laugh at: It’s a sign for an auto parts shop in Latiano Link . It doesn’t make much sense to the Italians, but I don’t think any Americans will be shopping there! I would love to see some of your "crappy" pics!

It’s a preview of hell, I just know it is. It is so freakin’ hot here, it’s unbelievable. Usually I’m not one to whine too much. I did grow up in the Texas Panhandle where we unhooked our stove top during the summer and fried on our concrete slab at the front of our house in the shade. I can stand the heat, but this time I’m getting out of the kitchen! It’s only been in the mid 90’s, but it’s been humid and calm, a deathly mixture. We leave our air conditioner on all day long, but it doesn...

I just got done watching USA v. Italia which a bunch of our Italian friends. I thank God that it ended 1-1 for many reasons, the biggest of which is that neither one of us can claim bragging rights. Another reason is that I have a heart for Italian soccer and really didn't want to see them lose, but I really wanted the USA to still be in the running. As it turns out, I got both! We'll see how we do against Ghana, it should be interesting. Forza USA! Forza Italia!

Here are some of my favorite quotes about Jack Bauer, if you any to add, please do! (Note: None of these are AT originals; I found them on various sites online.) Enjoy! If Jack Bauer was in a room with Hitler, Stalin, and Nina Meyers, and he had a gun with 2 bullets, he'd shoot Nina twice. If you wake up in the morning, it's because Jack Bauer spared your life. Superman wears Jack Bauer pajamas. Jack Bauer once forgot where he put his keys. He then spent the next half-hour tort...

I would like to introduce all of you to a good friend of mine, Gym. He is always there for me when I need him; he's a good listener and really lets me lean on him. Many of you are familiar with the verse in the bible that says to bear one another's burdens. Well, Gym is great at that. So, without further storia...my friend Gym! No really, this gym has been great for me. It helps me stay active and healthier; therefore I feel better and work better. It also serves as a way to burn stre...

One thing that I’ve noticed over the years in parents and teachers alike is that many of them are obsessed with the color of things. For example, a crooked heart with an extra hump drawn by a three year old has to be colored red, just like an oval sun with triangles protruding from all sides has to be colored yellow. I just don’t understand the fixation of making sure every blade of grass drawn inside the walls of a pre-k has to be green. Why are we forcing all our children to draw the sam...

10. Speaking in tongues is a gift available to us today; and I don’t have it. 9. Practice doesn’t make perfect, but it makes good enough. 8. You can communicate even the most complicated ideas in the simplest of sentences. 7. It’s not about what you say, but about what the Spirit is saying. 6. You can always find a verse that explains a thought in a more simplified manner. 5. God works in spite of our weaknesses. 4. The glory goes to God, not to me. The purpose is ...

Sunday was for me what us M*A*S*H fans like to call a full, rich day. I was scheduled to preach that day, which isn’t a big deal and I actually love doing it. However, this Sunday was just a little bit different. There was a family visiting from the states, and they only spoke English. This is something that I feel very strongly about, when there are guests that do not speak the native language and there are people who are able to translate for them, it should be done. I believe that th...

I had a dream the other night that really stuck with me. I was out fishing with my dad, I am not sure where, but it was salt water and shallow enough to wade fish. As I was walking around in the water, a man kept passing by with a colander full of fish. Apparently he was skimming the top of the water with this colander and oddly enough, he was catching fairly good sized fish for the method he was using. I, however, was fishing with a hook and sinker set-up for fishing on the bottom, b...

The day before yesterday, also known as Tuesday, I got to eat some cozze (mussels)! They are so good! They rank right up there with grilled steak, and let me tell you, that takes a lot. The first course was spaghetti alle cozze. It was wonderful, I had to add a little peperoncino, but it was delightful non-the-less. The second course was breaded cozze. You eat them right out of the shell. You can also squirt a little lemon on them too, but the lemon is more for when you eat the raw or ...

I don’t know if I will be able to eat tomorrow. Come to think of it, I may not be able to eat the day after either. Simply put, I’m full. Tonight Amanda and I went out with a group of friends composed of people from Taranto and Latiano to eat at a special meat restaurant in Crispiano. It was delicious. And it was also expensive, but let’s make sure to put the horse meat before the wagon, so to speak. We left about 8:30 p.m. from Taranto to arrive early enough to beat the crowds in Cri...

I lost my keys the other day. And not just any keys, THE keys. In other words, every key that I need in my day to day life was lost. This is how the events unfolded that fateful April day. Amanda and I left the apartment and went out to the end of the sidewalk to wait for Stefano to come pick us up in the car. Stefano had not arrived yet, so I seated myself on the edge of a flower bed and began to play with the snails. To play with snails you need two hands you see. I already had one ...